Quick thinking neighbor captures burglary with cell phone camera

2014-03-25T12:40:35Z2014-03-25T18:40:06Z

COLUMBUS, GA (WTVM) -

Arkimia Rawls said there were a few residents at home in her neighborhood when the crime occurred, but most of them were not paying attention, or were thrown off by the suspects' nonchalant and confident behavior as they were emptying her house of its valuables.

But they didn't fool everyone.

Rawls returned home from work to find her house in total disarray, windows broken, and nearly a dozen electronics, including flat screen televisions, missing from inside.

"I had a glass- a candle on the table, and they took the candle, and threw it through the window," said Rawls. "Nobody paid any attention except my good, faithful neighbor."

That neighbor became suspicious and called 911, but he had time to take photographs.

The thieves spent at least fifteen minutes cleaning out the house, and piling the stolen goods into a red car they parked in the driveway.

In addition to the long list of electronics, Rawls said her father's service medals earned in his time with the U.S. Army were also taken.

Rawls doesn't recognize the young people in the photos, but she suspects they may be acquainted with her children in some way.

"When you're working all day, you never know if your kids have other kids in the house. So most likely, it's somebody who knows us."

According to Rawls, that was the case when a 13-year-old and a 14-year-old broke into the house of another woman on the same street. She said the two boys attended the same school as the victim's daughter. A neighbor recalls when police made the arrests there two weeks ago.

"I've been living in this house for twenty years, and I never heard as many issues with this neighborhood the entire time I've been here, and now we have two in a few weeks," said Marcus Brooks.

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